Topic outline

  • Prayer

    Prayer is a critical component to the faith life of Catholics.  Students at St. Francis Xavier School discover through many different types of prayer, to develop a personal relationship with God.  We begin each school day with communal prayer and prayer is a regular part of the day.  On Monday morning we value beginning the new week in community to pray, read Sacred Scripture, and to celebrate the ongoing activities of the school, including recognizing student birthdays for the week. 

    Students learn about and participate in many forms of prayer such as prayer before meals, adoration, the rosary, private prayer, formal prayer, spontaneous prayer, and more. 

    • Mass

       “The Eucharist is ‘the source and summit of the Christian life’…for in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church…”
        -Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1324 


      We celebrate Mass as a school each week o
      n Wednesday's at 8:30 am.  

      • Virtue Education

        Students are educated on the virtues in their classrooms and as a school.  School-wide, we focus on the “virtue of the month” and reinforce ways to live out the virtues.  At the end of each month, we recognize students that exemplify this virtue from each class. 

        • Retreats

          Our middle school students participate in at least one retreat each school year.  Retreats are an important way for our students to spiritually grow and to devote a whole day in cultivating their faith. 

          • Service & Community Outreach

            Service to others is a concept that permeates the school.  “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”  (2 Corinthians 9:7)


            Our Students….
            1.    Plant flowers downtown each Spring for the City of Petoskey.
            2.    Participate in Brother Dan’s non-perishable food drives
            3.    Design and make quilts to donate to the Sparrow Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Lansing.
            4.    Make rosaries to donate to local hospitals.
            5.    Care for salmon eggs, and raise the newly hatched salmon until they are fry and release them into the Bear River in the spring.
            6.    Write letters to seminarians and soldiers.
            7.    Donate and wrap gifts for the Giving Tree to support families in need during Christmas.
            8.    Have raised over $10,000 in the last decade to support the Pregnancy Care Center of Petoskey.
            9.    Make bagged lunches for those staying at shelters such as the Nehemiah House.
            10.   Altar serve for Mass and for Funeral Masses.
            11.   Make artwork for the Have a Heart Dinner to support Brother Dan’s Pantry.
            12.   Fundraise for families in need during Catholic Schools Week.
            13.   Write thank you cards to our community and supporters.
            14.   Work with the students of the Taylor School during the annual Christ Child Christmas Party.
            15.   Donate to provide aid to those living in economically underdeveloped countries and those in need of natural disaster relief.
            16.   Donate time and resources for the Humane Society.
            17.   Support the Petoskey Cancer Family Fund.
            18.   Donate hair to Wigs for Kids
            19.   Sort and package recyclables and compost waste each day in the cafeteria.